Hereditaments refer to any kind of inheritable property or legal right that can be passed down from one generation to another. Hereditaments are typically associated with real property, which includes land, buildings, and any permanent structures or fixtures on the land.
In legal terms, hereditaments are important because they can be inherited or transferred from one person to another through various means, such as a will or intestacy laws. They can also be bought, sold, leased, or mortgaged by their owners.
The concept of hereditaments originated in English common law and has been widely adopted by legal systems around the world. It encompasses a broad range of property rights, including land ownership, easements, profits a prendre (rights to use or profit from another's land), and certain types of intellectual property.
Hereditaments are often classified into different categories based on their nature, such as corporeal hereditaments (which include physical substances like land) and incorporeal hereditaments (which are intangible rights like easements or patents).
In summary, hereditaments encompass any inheritable property or legal right that can be transferred or inherited by individuals. They play a crucial role in property law, enabling the intergenerational transfer of property rights and facilitating various transactions involving real estate and other types of assets.
